Rash of new ‘safety’ road signs on Lummi Island

In the past few weeks, an astonishing number of new road signs have been installed on Lummi Island, with no warning and in some cases of dubious safety value. For example, one resident counted 32 signs on a one-mile stretch of Granger Way, which seems total overkill. Two days ago I wrote Public Works very calmly asking for some explanation of the plethora of new road signs on Lummi Island and requested some communication with islanders about this sudden rash of new signs.

Another new sign popped up yesterday, prompting me to email Public Works today, asking them to please stop adding new signs until they talk with islanders. Here’s what I wrote:

Yesterday this new sign taken by an island resident appeared opposite the Beach Store Cafe, on North Nugent Road. He was sitting at one of the cafe’s deck tables.

Hmmm… does mean N. Nugent starts running one-way heading south & one-way north right at this point? To say it’s confusing is an understatement. The blind curve just past the cafe is dangerous, but this sign fails to warn about that hazard. It does not improve road safety in any way I can understand, and I drive this road daily. Update: Looking more closely, I see the 2 arrows are at a bit of an angle. I need to drive by, both ways, and take a look. Doesn’t resolve the blocking the view problem, though.

The sign also blocks the view of Mt Baker from the Beach Cafe. Blocking the viewshed with such a confusing sign is not good. Lummi Island residents and our many tourists value our views, and property owners pay property taxes that are based on the views the tax assessor says we have. Will Public Works ensure that we get tax rebates when PW chooses to wreck those views by unsightly (not to mention confusing) road ‘safety’ signs?

Could you please, please, please stop putting up new road signs until you have contacted islanders explained what the heck is going on and gotten our input on them?I imagine that the The Community Association or PLIC could help organize a meeting. Or the Church. Or the Civic Club. Or the Grange. Heck, I’d even be willing to personally pay for time at the Grange for a public meeting to discuss this.

5 thoughts on “Rash of new ‘safety’ road signs on Lummi Island”

And now we have an inappropriate and unsightly sign placed right in front of the Beach Store Cafe and it blocks the view of Mt.Baker for those looking off the deck or out of the windows there. Ridiculous!!

Very good! Maybe some of those signs will mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night over time and the over built frames could make nice nesting and roosting habitat which will enhance the island rural character. That’s all we ask for.

> Wynne Lee posted: “In the past few weeks, an astonishing number of new > road signs have been installed on Lummi Island, with no warning and in some > cases of dubious safety value. For example, one resident counted 32 signs > on a one-mile stretch of Granger Way, which seems tot” >

Time for a little reverse engineering. All the post unbolt from the base, and would make very good reinforcement steel for a concrete slab at Village Pt, where the road has been washed out for ….. How many years now?
Second Idea is to take a picture of Mt Baker, and hang it over the signs in from of the BSC.
Win-win, would you rather run into a sign or a Volcano?